Lithuania wants to build a fence to protect against ASF

Lithuanian pig breeders once again raised an issue of the construction of a fence on the border with Belarus to protect the farms from wild boars infected with the African Swine Fever (ASF).

This idea has been expressed by representatives of the Association of Lithuanian Pig Farms at a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture Virginia Baltraytene, according to the Ministry of Agriculture of Lithuania.

The head of the State Food and Veterinary Service of the country, Jonas Milius, offered to build a fence last summer, when the first outbreaks of ASF were reported in Belarus. However, the proposal has not been supported by the European Commission as the cost of the fence is EUR 12 mln and this is the most expensive measure in the struggle against ASF that has been considered by the European authorities.

At the same time it is unclear how effective such a measure would be - to provide complete protection against infected wild boards it is necessary to build a fence by all Baltic States at the border with Russia and Belarus and in this case the cost of the project will significantly rise.

Also local pig breeders say that it is unlikely that this time the measure would be adopted, as outbreaks of ASF have already been reported in Lithuania, so it is probably too late for such protective measures.